I've shot with Canon cameras my entire life starting with an Elan back in the 90's. A few years back I went digital with a 20D and the FANTASTIC EF-S 17-55 2.8. The 20D body was destroyed a year or so ago and I've been making do with a Canon point and shoot since then.

My first child is due on the first of May and I want to document his early months with a DSLR. Given my ownership of EF-S glass (really only the 17-55... my other Canon glass is cheap and left over from pre-DSLR days) I think APS-C is probably the way to go; but it bothers me to go after a 7d with its successor just around the corner.

Any thoughts or angles here? I'd only like to spend $2000 and need to do it pretty quickly. I'd like some reassurance that purchasing a 7d at the very twilight of its existence isn't complete folly or maybe an alternative approach I haven't considered (a $1000 EF-S lens was a bit shortsighted of me as I have a hard time justifying FF given the investment).

Why not rent a camera? 700D, 70D, 7D2, SL1 are all in the "coming soon" category and I am guessing you don't want to buy in a hurry and regret later. I would have said 5D3 or 6D but since your criteria is the budget of $2000, and you came from a 20D background I guess you are hoping for a 70D or a 7D2. Mind you, a 60D or a 7D are still great cameras.

Take a look at 6D with the 24-105 kit lens. FF is another dimension. I went from 300D to the 5D3 and am delighted to say the least.

Why not rent a camera? 700D, 70D, 7D2, SL1 are all in the "coming soon" category and I am guessing you don't want to buy in a hurry and regret later. I would have said 5D3 or 6D but since your criteria is the budget of $2000, and you came from a 20D background I guess you are hoping for a 70D or a 7D2. Mind you, a 60D or a 7D are still great cameras.

Take a look at 6D with the 24-105 kit lens. FF is another dimension. I went from 300D to the 5D3 and am delighted to say the least.

I agree with this dude, RENT a camera.Or if you are really into buying. Sell your lenses and use the money to invest in a 6D with a lens.

Thanks for your comments. To address the "wait" flavored responses (either by renting or buying an interim body), realistically, this is my best window to deploy capital towards gear. The Mrs. buys the fact that we should get something before the kid comes... anything after that may be a tougher sell .

Assuming I can't wait for the next generation, I'm seeing two options:

Spend around $1000 on a slightly used 7d and keep the 17-55 freeing up around $1000 to invest in prime glass

Sell the 17-55 making a 6d with the 24-105 kit lens in my price range

I like the "sturdiness" of the 7d and that I can reuse my CF cards etc... and don't really know a lot about the 6d. Maybe the question really is: current generation entry level FF versus last generation top-line aps-c with ultimately pretty equivalent glass.

Why not rent a camera? 700D, 70D, 7D2, SL1 are all in the "coming soon" category and I am guessing you don't want to buy in a hurry and regret later. I would have said 5D3 or 6D but since your criteria is the budget of $2000, and you came from a 20D background I guess you are hoping for a 70D or a 7D2. Mind you, a 60D or a 7D are still great cameras.

Take a look at 6D with the 24-105 kit lens. FF is another dimension. I went from 300D to the 5D3 and am delighted to say the least.

I agree with this dude, RENT a camera.Or if you are really into buying. Sell your lenses and use the money to invest in a 6D with a lens.

I'm new to renting... wouldn't renting set me back around $500 a month? I'd want to rent in advance of the kid showing up, so there's some sunk cost there... I get renting for a week to try out a lens or maybe to cover a special wedding or something, but not sure that the model works here.

You are not likely to see any 7D MK II's until the end of the year.If you want to capture images of a baby with minimal lighting, get a 6D. You can sell your old camera and 17-55mm lens for a EF lens. They should bring enough to get a new Tamron 24-70. This would be a better choice.

Why not rent a camera? 700D, 70D, 7D2, SL1 are all in the "coming soon" category and I am guessing you don't want to buy in a hurry and regret later. I would have said 5D3 or 6D but since your criteria is the budget of $2000, and you came from a 20D background I guess you are hoping for a 70D or a 7D2. Mind you, a 60D or a 7D are still great cameras.

Take a look at 6D with the 24-105 kit lens. FF is another dimension. I went from 300D to the 5D3 and am delighted to say the least.

I agree with this dude, RENT a camera.Or if you are really into buying. Sell your lenses and use the money to invest in a 6D with a lens.

I'm new to renting... wouldn't renting set me back around $500 a month? I'd want to rent in advance of the kid showing up, so there's some sunk cost there... I get renting for a week to try out a lens or maybe to cover a special wedding or something, but not sure that the model works here.

Thanks for your 6d comment - seems to make a lot of sense.

If you are going to take pics almost every day, don't rent. Look into Canon-F1's suggestion too. Go into a shop. Play around with the models there and you will then get a sense of what you need to get. If you can't wait then buy the best you can. So it also depends on what else you are going to shoot with it. Sports, shots with a lot of movement would warrant a 7D. Otherwise a 60D or a 650D will be fine too. However, play with the FF cameras before pulling the trigger. The 24-105 is a great general purpose lens. If you decide on the 6D, get it as the kit lens.

I have no experience of third party lenses so can't comment on them. The 24-105 as kit turns out to give you a big discount on the lens.

Sell 17-55 $700 if in good shape. New budget 2700 and should be able to fit in a 6d kit plus even possibly a 85 1.8. Good luck and enjoy fatherhood! You'll never be so tired in your entire life but its loads of fun and worth a lot less sleep.